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geovikiI did it!! I read (or started, at least) every single story in ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
hd_worldcup and viewed all the art! Whoa, Nelly, that's a lot of fic. But because I read everything offline, I didn't manage to reconnect to the place to leave comments. Writers, I really hope you find this post and take it as the praise you all deserve.
First, I want to say how well I thought the theme of tarot cards worked to stimulate and guide the writers/artists, without being too restrictive. Just comparing the same card used by four different participants demonstrated the variety of plots/ideas/images that you all came up with. I also thought the artists really explored new territory in this fest, and if you've followed the art you'll know what I mean. So congratulations to all of you who took part.
Here are my recs for writing. (The art is so cool you should just go check it all out, 'k?)
My two favorites are:
Lamp in the Cooling Room – The one everyone's discussing, and with good reason—it's very well written and has a unique plot. Draco, Harry, and a young girl are trapped in a cottage that will only allow one of them to leave alive. I think the girl's age – 6 – doesn't quite match her dialogue, and she could have easily been aged up some for a better fit. Otherwise, we can just envision her as terribly precocious. Great, ambiguous ending.
Take A Sad Song (And Make It Better) – I'm not going to pretend I don't recognize it as Femmequixotic's, because I can pick out her stuff so easily. Long and wonderfully well written. She's such a pro with detail. Harry's caught having affairs with men right from the start, and he and Ginny battle over the kids in the subsequent divorce. Malfoy's assigned to the case to settle custody, and there's a string of murders in the background. I'm trying to forget everything so I can enjoy reading it all over again like it was my first time. Can one become a born-again virgin reader? I wish.
The next 9, in alphabetical order:
After Eden -- Harry's arm is injured and he can't do magic. Draco helps rehabilitate him, and their relationship slowly develops. I appreciated how the dialogue flowed naturally and wasn't bogged down with unneeded tags for every statement.
The Arc of the Pendulum -- A half-mad Lucius casts a terrible and mysterious spell on Harry, and Draco tries to help him reverse it. A compelling read for me. Very well written, not exactly dark but serious, with a plot that's engaging.
Did You Know I'm Naked Under this T-Shirt -- I loved this! Harry, Draco, Seamus, and Goyle are at St. Brutus' School for the Incurable and form a rock band. Witty, clever, and delightful. I don't read enough AU's. Someone pointed out that this is how oddly emo an out-of-Hogwarts Harry might appear to those not privy to his POV.
DIY Messiah -- Draco works in Dept of Accounts and Boring Paperwork, and a bored Harry hangs around him after meeting him at Bring Your Kids to Work Day. It starts out too slowly, but then heats up and clips along. The dialogue is terrific and the kids are, too. In a few places, the overall tone is uneven – moving from witty and humorous to serious and sad with little transition time – but the ending is upbeat and good.
Perfect Day -- Draco takes a lot of Felix Felicis potion and has an unusually lucky day. It's got a real canon feel to it and a lot of wit.
Potter's Interference -- Lighthearted story of Draco under house arrest for selling illegal magical animals, with Harry as his assigned minder. Lots of humor, cute story.
Still Life in Wood and Parchment – Post Epilogue, told entirely in letters between Al and Scorpius, who are friends, and intertwined with Draco's earlier letters to Harry, discovered by Al. The way the story details are parsed out, naturally as a letter writer would mention them, works very well. There's no unnecessary info dumping ('as you remember, Scorp, when I told you that time…').
Toast for Two -- Very witty and sweet, with a fanon Draco who's not too icky-fanon. Actually he reminded me of someone on my flist. Harry goes to a magical match-maker, who sets him up with all the wrong men – or does he? I liked this one a lot. Light and cute and smart.
What Could Have Been (And What Was) -- Seven versions of how they get together, going farther back and getting shorter, with certain elements repeating (Draco's smile making his face less pointy, for example). Well written. I like these stories that revisit the same scene/issue again and again.
Others I liked and that are good reads are listed below. The primary reason they're not up above is only that they tend to have things in them that don't suit my personal preference (e.g., a harsh ending where I would have preferred a cheerier one, I thought the story was too long or too short for the plot, and so on).
At Childhood's End
Homecoming
How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?
An Interpretation on Justice (the Aurors and Assassins Mix)
Nothing Ventured (Nothing Lost)
On One's Knees
The Path to the Astronomy Tower
Unity
Wall of Glass
hd_worldcup and viewed all the art! Whoa, Nelly, that's a lot of fic. But because I read everything offline, I didn't manage to reconnect to the place to leave comments. Writers, I really hope you find this post and take it as the praise you all deserve.First, I want to say how well I thought the theme of tarot cards worked to stimulate and guide the writers/artists, without being too restrictive. Just comparing the same card used by four different participants demonstrated the variety of plots/ideas/images that you all came up with. I also thought the artists really explored new territory in this fest, and if you've followed the art you'll know what I mean. So congratulations to all of you who took part.
Here are my recs for writing. (The art is so cool you should just go check it all out, 'k?)
My two favorites are:
Lamp in the Cooling Room – The one everyone's discussing, and with good reason—it's very well written and has a unique plot. Draco, Harry, and a young girl are trapped in a cottage that will only allow one of them to leave alive. I think the girl's age – 6 – doesn't quite match her dialogue, and she could have easily been aged up some for a better fit. Otherwise, we can just envision her as terribly precocious. Great, ambiguous ending.
Take A Sad Song (And Make It Better) – I'm not going to pretend I don't recognize it as Femmequixotic's, because I can pick out her stuff so easily. Long and wonderfully well written. She's such a pro with detail. Harry's caught having affairs with men right from the start, and he and Ginny battle over the kids in the subsequent divorce. Malfoy's assigned to the case to settle custody, and there's a string of murders in the background. I'm trying to forget everything so I can enjoy reading it all over again like it was my first time. Can one become a born-again virgin reader? I wish.
The next 9, in alphabetical order:
After Eden -- Harry's arm is injured and he can't do magic. Draco helps rehabilitate him, and their relationship slowly develops. I appreciated how the dialogue flowed naturally and wasn't bogged down with unneeded tags for every statement.
The Arc of the Pendulum -- A half-mad Lucius casts a terrible and mysterious spell on Harry, and Draco tries to help him reverse it. A compelling read for me. Very well written, not exactly dark but serious, with a plot that's engaging.
Did You Know I'm Naked Under this T-Shirt -- I loved this! Harry, Draco, Seamus, and Goyle are at St. Brutus' School for the Incurable and form a rock band. Witty, clever, and delightful. I don't read enough AU's. Someone pointed out that this is how oddly emo an out-of-Hogwarts Harry might appear to those not privy to his POV.
DIY Messiah -- Draco works in Dept of Accounts and Boring Paperwork, and a bored Harry hangs around him after meeting him at Bring Your Kids to Work Day. It starts out too slowly, but then heats up and clips along. The dialogue is terrific and the kids are, too. In a few places, the overall tone is uneven – moving from witty and humorous to serious and sad with little transition time – but the ending is upbeat and good.
Perfect Day -- Draco takes a lot of Felix Felicis potion and has an unusually lucky day. It's got a real canon feel to it and a lot of wit.
Potter's Interference -- Lighthearted story of Draco under house arrest for selling illegal magical animals, with Harry as his assigned minder. Lots of humor, cute story.
Still Life in Wood and Parchment – Post Epilogue, told entirely in letters between Al and Scorpius, who are friends, and intertwined with Draco's earlier letters to Harry, discovered by Al. The way the story details are parsed out, naturally as a letter writer would mention them, works very well. There's no unnecessary info dumping ('as you remember, Scorp, when I told you that time…').
Toast for Two -- Very witty and sweet, with a fanon Draco who's not too icky-fanon. Actually he reminded me of someone on my flist. Harry goes to a magical match-maker, who sets him up with all the wrong men – or does he? I liked this one a lot. Light and cute and smart.
What Could Have Been (And What Was) -- Seven versions of how they get together, going farther back and getting shorter, with certain elements repeating (Draco's smile making his face less pointy, for example). Well written. I like these stories that revisit the same scene/issue again and again.
Others I liked and that are good reads are listed below. The primary reason they're not up above is only that they tend to have things in them that don't suit my personal preference (e.g., a harsh ending where I would have preferred a cheerier one, I thought the story was too long or too short for the plot, and so on).
At Childhood's End
Homecoming
How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?
An Interpretation on Justice (the Aurors and Assassins Mix)
Nothing Ventured (Nothing Lost)
On One's Knees
The Path to the Astronomy Tower
Unity
Wall of Glass
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no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 07:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 01:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 07:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 11:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 01:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 01:43 pm (UTC)PS. Who on your friendslist?
no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 05:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-18 12:13 am (UTC)Heh.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 02:51 pm (UTC)I've been in a similar state. Flist probably thinks I'm dead.
Ignored two major tennis tournaments and spent every opportunity online reading fic & writing feedback (not good at latter; why can I never leave a simple one-line comment??)
If I were to pick my top three...
I can't really.
Though I find it interesting that my picks for Favourite Fic and Best Fic don't match.
(4-5 more stories to go! *rushes off to read* )
no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 03:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-17 03:46 pm (UTC)Am still reading!
I want to get more than ONE right this time.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-18 09:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-19 03:03 pm (UTC)Random but...
Date: 2008-05-21 07:49 pm (UTC)http://flickr.com/photos/luisistico/2283378871/in/pool-pins
no subject
Date: 2008-05-23 04:23 pm (UTC)